Foundation garment



Jan. 12, 1960 ojER-rEszl-:K 2,920,626

FOUNDATION GARMENT Filed March 28, 1957 0L @A ERM-525k INVENTOR.

United States Patent Oiice i 2,920,626 Patented Jan.` 12, 1960 FOUNDATION GARMENT Olga Erteszek, Van Nuys, Calif.

Application Mmh zs, 1957, serial No. 649,168

4 Claims. (Cl. 12S-436) This invention relates to an improved ladys foundation garment, of the type having an upper brassiere portion and a lower girdle portion to lit about and confine the hips of the wearer.

In prior corsets of this type, one major disadvantage has been the extent to which the garment inhibits movement of the wearers body. Since the upper brassiere portion of the garment is usually attached integrally to, and forms a continuation of, the lower portion, these two portions are restrained against relative' movement, and the upper portion of the wearers body therefore can not bend freely relative to the lower portion. The general object of 4the present invention is to provide an improved corset arrangement in which the upper and lower portions of the garment are so constructed and inter-related as to allow vastly increased freedom for relative movement between the brassiere portion and the lower portion, yto thus allow for maximum freedom of bending and stretching movement of the wearers body.

. The above discussed freedom of movement is attained in part by the manner in which the bust supporting brassiere portion of the garment is attached to the main corset body. Specifically, the brassiere is -attached to the corset body at locations toward the opposite sides of the body, -but is not directly attached to the main body at an intermediate location between those sides, so that the intermediate or front portion of the brassiere is bodily shiftable upwardly or downwardly relative to the corset body when the wearer bends or stretches. In conjunction with this type of attachment of the brassiere, the corset may also be so formed at its back as to facilitate the defined shifting of the brassiere. In particular, a horizontally extending slit is formed in the corset bodyl at the back of the wearer, preferably near or slightly above the waist, to allow relative movement of the upper and lower portions of the corset body by allowing widening and narrowing of the vertical width of the slit. This slit is desirably located directly beneath two tabs or straps which are fastenable together at the back of the corset to secure the upper portion of the garment in proper position on the wearer.

The invention is primarily concerned with the provision at opposite sides of the body of a corset so characterized, of an arrangement of stays having novel structural and functional relation to the garment as a whole, assuring correct positioning of the body portion while permitting the freedoms of movement referred to above. In order to further facilitate bodily shifting movement of the upper portion of the garment, I mount these stays within vertically extending elastic pockets with the corset body and pockets being free to elastically stretch and contract vertically relative to the lxed length stays, Such stretchability of the corset body relative to the stays avoids any resistance to movement of the upper brassiere portion of the garment as a result of the presence of the stays. To permit this stretchability, each of the stays is attached to the corset body at only a localized relatively short area, so that each stay has a free portion extending from that area to one of the ends of the stay (preferably the lower end) which portion is entirely unattached to the corset body and therefore does not restrain the corset body against relative stretching movement. This unattached portion of the stay has a length which is several times its width and preferably is a major portion of the entire length of the stay (desirably substantially the entire length of the stay); and is several times as long as the localized attached portion of the stay.

The above and other features of the present invention will be better understood from the following detailed description of the typical embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig.- 1 is a front view of a corset constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a back view of the Fig. 1 corset;

Fig. 3 is a reduced size front view, showing the two halves of the brassiere portion of the garment detached from one another and spread outwardly to allow viewing of the inner portion of the corset;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

The corset 10 illustrated in the drawing may be considered as including a main corset body 11 forriied of a number of panels of sheet material, and carrying at the -top of the garment a brassiere section 12. Body 11 typically includes two panels 13 extending upwardly along opposite sides of the wearers body. These two side panels 13 terminate downwardly at the lower edge 14 of the bottom girdle portion of the garment, and these panels 13 terminate upwardly at the top edge 15 of the corset body. As seen in Fig. 3, this top edge 15 curves downwardly at the forward side of the garment to a level considerably Ibelow the level of top edge 15 at the rear of the garment.

At the forward side of the corset body, the two side panels 13 extend laterally inwardly to a pair of seams 16, along which the panels 13 are sewed to the opposite edges of a front central panel 17. Edges 16 and panel 17 desirably all extend vertically the entire distance from Y At opposite sides of the lower increased `width portion of panel 17, the two panels 13 may be reinforced by a pair of panels 19 secured to the inner sides of panels 13. These panels 19 may be peripherally stitched to panels 13 along seam lines indicated at 20, 21 `and 22, and along portions of the previously mentioned seam lines 16 At the rear of the garment, the two side panels 13 extend laterally inwardly to a pair of seam lines 23, along which panels 13 are stitched to the opposite edges of a rear center panel 24. This panel 24 may have a general configuration similar to that of the lower portion of panel 17, that is, panel 24 may be relatively narrow at its upper and lower ends, and flare to an increased width at its vertically central portion. Along the lower edge 14 of the garment body, the various panels may be turned upwardly as indicated by the hem line 25, with conventional hose supporters 26 being attached to and depending from the garment body at locations spaced along edge 14.

All of the panels thus far described, with the exception possibly of the lace or similar strip 18, are preferably formed of an elastioally s tretchable woven sheet material or cloth, adapted `to snuglyt and conne the body of the wearer. Preferably, the panels 13 and 19- are stretchable elastically both vertically and horizontally, that is, they have elastic threads extending both vertically and horizontally. The front and rear center panels 17 and 24 are desirably elastically stretchable only vertically, and are essentially inelastic horizontally.

The brassiere section 12 of the garment is formed of two halves 27 (see Fig. 3), each including a breast receiving cup 28 typically formed of' a non-stretchable or non-elastic material, carried by a piece of sheet material 29 which is preferably elastic both vertically and horizontally. At the center of the brassiere, the two pieces of elastic material 29 overlap for a short distance, and the curved edge 30 of each piece of material 29 is stitched to the other half of the brassiere along a seam line 31 which extends along the inner side of the breast receiving cup 29 of that other half. About the bottom and opposite sidesl of each cup 28, the elastic material 27 may carry and enclose `a U-shaped inverted piece of essentially rigid wireor metal 32, lfor defining the periphery of the cup. Along its opposite side edges, the brassiere section 12 formed of the two interconnected halves 27 is stitched to the two panels 13 of the garment body along a pair of vertically extending side seams 33. Between these seams, however, the brassiere section 1,2 is not stitched or otherwise directly attached to the corset body (panels 13, 17 or 18),' so that the upper brassiere section 12 is thus shiftable upwardly and downwardly relative to the main corset body to conform to the wearers body during bending' or stretching movements.

4Rearwardly opposite the forward brassiere section 12 of the garment, the two side panels 13 of the corset body 11 form a pair of tabs 33, one of which carries a series of vertical-ly spaced hook elements 34, and the other of which carries two series of vertically spaced eye elements 35 and 36. These twov tabs or portions 33 of panels 13 are adapted to overlap, so that hooks 34 can engage either the eyes 35 or the eyes 36, to hold the upper portion of the garment, and particularly the brassiere section 12, in proper position on the wearers` body. Along opposite sides of these tabs 33, the, elastic material of panels 13 may lcarry a pair of vertically extending parallel stays 37, which maybe suitably conlned by short strips of elastic material stitched to panels 13 about the periphery of the stays. A pair of 'shoulder straps 38 may be attached at their forward ends to the two cup portions 28 respectively of lthe brassiere, and at their rear ends to the two tabs 33 respectively.

Beneath tabs 33, the elastic material of the corset body formedby panels 13 and 24 contains a' horizontally extending and horizontally elongated slit or aperture 39, which is adapted to open or widen vertically uponl bending or stretching `f a wearers body, to thus permit the previously mentioned shifting movement of the forward brassiere section 12 of the garment, and to permit maximum freedom of movement of the wearers body. This slitV 39 is preferably defined lalong its upper edge by the lower edges 40 of the two connected .tabs 33, with the lower side of the slit- 39 being defined by an upper edge 41 of the panels `13 and 24. A reinforcing strip of elastic material may4 be stitched to panels 13 and 24 along the underside of slot- 39, as by stitching represented at 42.

Along the opposite sides of the corset body 11, the two panels .13 carry a pair of vertically extending relatively long staysV 43 formed of bone, plastic, or other material which is relatively stiff as compared with the various elastic panels, but which material is of course exible to a certain extenty to allow' conformanceV of the side of the garment to the contour of the wearers body. Each of these. stays 43 is containedV within a vertically elongated .pocket defined at its outer side by the, material of the associated panel 13, and defined at its inner side by a strip of elastically stretchable material 44 which is peripherally stitched to panel 13 entirely about the stay 43. This material 44 is `desirably stretchable elastically both vertically and horizontally. The stays 43 are preferably secured in xed relation to panels 13 near the upper ends of the stays, as at the location represented at 45 in Fig. 4, this attachment typically being made by stitching the stays at that location to the panels 13. Beneaeth the point 45, each of the stays may be entirely free of any direct attachment to panel 13 or strip 44, to allow stretching of the elastic material of panel 13 and part 44 relative to the stay 43 (in a vertical direction), so that the wearer may bend toward one side or the other without any restriction being offered by a tendency for the ftxed length `stays to retain the stretchable material against vertical exension or contraction. The lower end of the pocket formed by part 44 and panel 13 may extend downwardly beyond the lower end of stay 43 a substantial distance (as indicated at 46 in Fig. 4), to prevent the introduction of any resistance to relative movement between the stay and elastic material by virtue of engagement of the lower end of the stay with the lower end of the pocket. The stitching which secures part 44 to panel 13 is represented at 47, `and extends vertically along opposite sides of strip 44, and extends horizontally at the top and bottom of the pocket. Y

When the garmentis in use, all of the various structural features of the garment act together to assure overall freedom of movement of the wearers body, while at the same time attaining a very effective confinement of the body to the desired shape or contour. More specifically, the formation of the upper brassiere section 12 of the garment to be unattached to the main body portion except along the opposite side edges 33 of the brassiere allows the brassiere and the upper bust portion of the wearers body to move or bend very freely relative to the lower corset body and the contained hip portion of the wearers body. This shifting movement of the brassiere section 12 relative to the rest of the corset body is further facilitated by the provision of the horizontal slit 39 at the back of the corset body, slightly above the waist level, so that when the wearer bends forwardly, slit 39 may widen vertically to allow movement of the brassiere section 12l downwardly relative to the rest of the corset body.

Further, the freedom of panels 13 and elastic strips 44V 'for vertical stretching movement and vertical contraction relative to the fixed length stays 43 coacts with the manner of formation of the brassiere section 12 and the provision of slit 39 in vfurther assuring complete freedom of movement of the upper bust portion of the garment relative to the main corset body.

I claim:

l. -A foundation garment comprising a corset body formed of flexible sheet material and adapted to extend about the hips of a wearer and to extend upwardly above the waist at the wearers back, a brassiere at the front of the corset body attached thereto at junctures 'with opposite sides of the body but havingl an intermediate front portion which 4is not directly attached to the body and is shi'ftable Ivertically relative thereto, the rear of said body containing an essentially horizontally extending opening near the waist level to facilitaterelative shifting move,- ment of the brassiere, a pair of stays extending vertically along opposite sides of the corset body from locations above sai-d opening and as high :as said junctures of' the brassiere with the body, said corset body including means forming pockets along said opposite sides of the body containing said stays, said corset body being vertically and elastically stretchable relative to said stays at the stay locations.

2. A foundation garment as recited in claim 1 in which substantially sai-d entire corset body is formed of elastic sheet. material.

3` A foundationV garment as recited in claim 1 includgg means attaching upper end portions of said stays to References Cited in the le of this patent e corset body but leaving the stays unattached to the corset body beneath said upper end portions. UNITED STATES PATENTS 4. A foundation garment -as recited in claim 1 in which 1,982,657 Graves Dec. 4, 1934 said corset body forms two aps at the rear, there being 2,031,022 Wipperman Feb. 18, 1936 fasteners for detachably connecting said flaps together, 2,045,401 Mowry June 23, 1936 the upper edge of said horizontal opening at the back of 2,116,340 Chatfeld May 3, 1938 `the corset being defined by the lower edges of said aps. 2,675,548 Leonard Apr. 20, 1954 

